1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image display device for an information processing system, and more particularly to an image display device having a display screen which is small relative to the size of the entire source image, such as one used in small-sized and inexpensive information processing systems, including a tape printing apparatus.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, the small-sized and inexpensive information processing systems of the above-mentioned kind have been capable of processing only image data which is smaller in size than that processed by a personal computer of a general type or the like, and hence images displayed on such a display device have been small in size. However, recently, as technology has advanced, an information processing system which is small-sized and inexpensive and that is capable of processing a very large volume of image data has become available. The display device of this type of system is also required to be capable of displaying large-sized images.
The display device for the information processing system of the above-mentioned kind is limited as to the size and the number of dots available on the display screen, due to size and cost constraints. Therefore, the present assignee has proposed an image display for a tape printing apparatus, which displays the whole image by reducing the size of the original image such that the image can be easily recognized in its entirety even when a display screen which is small relative to the size of the original image is used (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-115224 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-125374, for instance).
In general, however, the resolution of this kind of display is lower than that of the image actually printed, and has a smaller number of dots even when the size of the display screen is equivalent to that of the printed image. Therefore, the image is required to be displayed using thinned dots, which tends to corrupt the image. For instance, in the tape printing apparatus mentioned above, even when character images (the term xe2x80x9cunit imagexe2x80x9d is defined to denote any image of a character, a numeral, a symbol, a figure or the like) are arranged to form print image data. (basic image data) of about 256 dots in the direction of the width thereof to be printed on a tape having a width of 24 mm, if they are displayed on a small image screen having approximately the same size (about 3 cm), each unit image displayed is hard to view or recognize since the display screen normally has only 64 dots, and hence the dot size of 256 dots of an image is an upper limit at which contents of individual unit images can be viewed or recognized on such a small screen which has a size of approximately 3 cm and is capable of displaying approximately 64 dots (see FIGS. 43A to 44B).
However, in the above-mentioned tape printing apparatus, wider tapes tend to be used as print materials, and if the basic image data adapted to such wide tapes having 521 dots or 1024 dots in the direction of the width is displayed on the display screen, not only contents of individual unit images but also the layout of images cannot be confirmed (see FIGS. 45A and 45B). It is expected that as the width of a tape increases, that is, as the size of printable image data becomes larger and more diversified, the necessity of viewing the contents and layout of the unit images becomes more and more important. Further, this necessity presents a problem requiring a solution, not only in the case of a tape printing apparatus but also in other information processing systems which are small-sized and inexpensive, such as a small-sized stamp making apparatus in which viewing and confirmation of images is required for making a stamp having a larger stamp face than that which can be displayed on a small display screen.
It is the object of the invention to provide an image display device and method which is improved in usefulness and operability in that even with a display screen small-sized relative to the size of a displayed image, the contents, layout, etc. of unit images forming the displayed image, at desired locations, can be easily viewed through relatively simple operations.
To attain the above object, according a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an image display device including:
input means for inputting various commands and data;
display means having a display screen;
basic image data storage means for storing part or whole of basic image data formed of a dot matrix; and
display control means responsive to a corresponding one of the various commands input by the input means for converting a portion of the basic image data in a display range to display image data to display the display image data on the display screen.
The image display device according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized in that the input means comprises:
start command means for inputting a start command for starting an automatic scroll process for automatically continuously shifting the display range in a scrolling manner in a predetermined one of upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions on the basic image data, and
change command means for inputting a proportion change command for changing a proportion between a size of the display image data and a size of the basic image data, at or before a start of the automatic scroll process or during the automatic scroll process,
wherein the display control means is responsive to the start command input by the start command means for starting the automatic scroll process, and to the proportion change command input by the change command means for changing the display image data according thereto to thereby display resulting display image data on the display screen.
According to this image display device, by entering the start command, the display range can be automatically scrolled in the predetermined direction of the upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions on the basic image data. The conversion of image data in the display range of the basic image data to display image data includes, similarly to the conventional devices, simple extraction, expansion (zoom-in of the image) /reduction (zoom-out of the image), and schematizing (substitution of schematic image for each unit image) employed in reducing unit images. The automatic scroll makes it possible to easily and successively view the contents, layout and the like of the unit images (e.g. images of characters) in the direction of the scroll. The proportion change command can be entered at or before or during the automatic scroll process, and if it is entered during the automatic scroll process, it is possible to change the proportion in size (resolution) between the display image data and the basic image data. Therefore, even when a display screen is used which is small-sized relative to the size of the image to be displayed, the image display device enables the user to easily view or recognize the contents, layouts, and the like of the unit images which form the image displayed, through relatively simple operations.
Preferably, the display control means starts the automatic scroll process from the display range having been set when the start command is input.
According to this preferred embodiment, the automatic scroll process is started from the display range having been set when the start command is input. Therefore, for instance, if the scroll is carried out to a desired starting position by operating a cursor key or the like and then the starting command is input, it is possible to carry out the automatic scroll process from a desired display range to thereby view the image from a desired portion with ease. This makes it possible to further increase the operability of the image display device.
Preferably, the input means further includes starting position-designating means for designating a starting position on the basic image data from which the automatic scroll process should be started.
According to this preferred embodiment, the starting position of the automatic scroll can be designated and hence if the starting command is input after designating the starting position, it is possible to carry out the automatic scroll process from the desired display range to thereby view image of the image data from a desired portion thereof with ease. This makes it possible to further increase the operability of the image display device.
Preferably, the display control means carries out the automatic scroll process until a trailing end of the basic image data is reached, whereupon the automatic scroll process is terminated.
According to this preferred embodiment, the automatic scroll process is carried out until it reaches the trailing end of the basic image data to thereby terminate the same. Therefore, the staring command can be entered without designating a particular ending position thereof. Further, the automatic scroll process is automatically terminated, which makes it possible to save the trouble of operating the device, thereby making the image display device more convenient to use.
Preferably, the input means further includes ending position-designating means for designating an ending position on the basic image data at which the automatic scroll process should be terminated.
According to this preferred embodiment, the ending position of the automatic scroll can be designated and hence if, the start command is input after designating the ending position, the automatic scroll process can be terminated at the designated ending position, which makes it possible to easily view the image of only a required display range of the data, thereby reducing waste of processing time. Further, the automatic scroll process is automatically terminated and hence the trouble of operating the device can be saved, which makes the image display device more convenient to use.
Preferably, the display control means carries out the automatic scroll process in a circular manner by connecting a trailing end and a leading end of the basic image data to each other.
According to this preferred embodiment, the automatic scroll process is carried out in a circular manner by connecting the trailing end of the basic image data and the leading end of the same to each other, so that, from whatever portion of the basic image data the automatic scroll process may be started, the image can be viewed in its entire range in the direction of the scroll, and even a portion which was overlooked can be reviewed with ease without executing other particular operations, which makes the image display device more convenient to use. Further, when the image display device is shown for sale in a store, it is possible to provide an advantageous effect of causing the device to continue presenting itself to customers.
Preferably, the image display device further includes:
basic data storage means for storing the data input from the input means as basic data;
unit image data-forming means for outputting unit image data corresponding to sad basic data; and
basic image data-forming means for arranging the unit image data corresponding to the basic data, which is outputted from the unit image data-forming means, in an area for the basic image data within the basic image data storage means to thereby form the part or whole of the basic image data.
According to this preferred embodiment, the image display device further includes basic data storage means for storing the data input from the input means as basic data, unit image data-forming means for outputting unit image data corresponding to the basic data, and basic image data-forming means for forming the part or whole of the basic image data. Therefore, it is possible to form not only basic image data stored in advance in the basic image data storage means but also new basic image data. Further, basic data is stored and basic image data is formed therefrom, which makes it possible to form basic image data within a desired range as required. This makes the image display device a more convenient one which has a function as an input device for entering images.
Preferably, the image display device further includes scroll image data storage means for storing therein, at any given time point during execution of the automatic scroll process, a portion of the basic image data within a scrollable range including the display range at the any given time point and a range to which the display range can be shifted within a predetermined unit time period from the any given time point, as scroll image data for use at the any given time point, and
the display control means converts a portion of the scroll image data in the display range to display image data and display the display image data at the any given time point on the display screen during the execution of the automatic scroll process, and reads out the scroll image data for use at the any given time point from the basic image data storage means to store the scroll image data in the scroll image data storage means by the any give time point.
According to this preferred embodiment, scroll image data in the display range at any given time point and in a range to which the display range can be shifted from the display range before the lapse of a predetermined unit time period is stored in the scroll image data storage means different from the basic image data storage means, and the scroll image data in the display range is converted to display image data. Therefore, even when basic image data storage means is accessed by other resources or the like to make the same unavailable, the scroll process can be performed within the lapse of the predetermined unit time period. Further, in the case of the image display device also serving as an input device for entering images, it is possible to carry out scroll display by reading data from the scroll image data storage means in parallel or simultaneously with a process for forming and storing basic image data in the basic image data storage means. This makes it possible to shorten time for processing data.
Preferably, the image display device further includes;
basic data storage means for storing the data input from the input means as basic data;
unit image data-forming means responsive to inputting of various kinds of data thereto for outputting unit image data corresponding to the various kinds of data input thereto;
scroll image data storage means for storing therein, at any given time point during execution of the automatic scroll process, a portion of the basic image data within a scrollable range including the display range at the any given time point and a range to which the display range can be shifted within a predetermined unit time period from the any given time point, as scroll image data for use at the any given time point; and
basic image data-forming means for arranging the unit image data corresponding to the basic data, which is outputted from the unit image data-forming means in an area for the basic image data within the basic image data storage means, and forming the scroll image data for use at the any given time point before the predetermined time period from the any given time point,
the display control means converting a portion of the scroll image data in the display range to display image data and display the display image data at the any given time point on the display screen during the execution of the automatic scroll process, and reading out the scroll image data for use at the any given time point from the basic image data storage means to store the scroll image data in the scroll image data storage means by the any give time point
In general, if the display screen is small in size, the size of display image data required at any given time is small, and accordingly however large the entire basic image data for forming display image data therefrom may be, it is only required that an amount of data corresponding to a small display range is available at each displaying time point. Further, when basic image data is edited on the display screen by changing entered data items via the input means, the processing time for display becomes shorter when only a display range and its neighboring portion are changed than when the entire basic image data is re-formed whenever data is changed.
This preferred embodiment includes the scroll image data storage means and the basic image data-forming means. Therefore, the corresponding advantageous effects described above can be obtained. Further, the basic image data-forming means forms basic image data required for display from any give time point within a predetermined unit time period from the given time point, by the predetermined unit time period before the given time point. Accordingly, the resulting basic image data can be stored as scroll image data in the scroll image data storage means by the given time point, whereby it is possible to continue smooth scroll process within the lapse of the predetermined unit time period from the given time point. And, basic image data to be made available at each time point can be limited to a size or range of data which can be scrolled within a time period twice as long as the predetermined unit time period after each time point, which makes it possible to save the memory area of the basic image data and at the same time shorten processing time for forming or changing the basic image data.
For instance, the basic image data is print image data to be printed on a print material.
According to this preferred embodiment, print image data to be printed on a print material can be displayed by using the same as basic image data. Therefore, the image display device can be applied to one for a printing apparatus.
For instance, the print material is in the form of a tape.
According to this preferred embodiment, the image display device can be applied to one for a tape printing whose print material is in the form of a tape.
Preferably, the change command means further includes stop command means for inputting a stop command for temporarily stopping the automatic scroll process.
According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to stop the automatic scroll temporarily for changing the direction of scroll, zoom ratio of the image, etc.
Preferably, the size of the basic image data is represented by a number of dots in a direction of width of an image represented by the basic image data and the size of the display image data is represented by a number of dots in a direction of width of an image represented by the display image data.
To attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of displaying an image by automatically scrolling image data for an image display device having input means and a display screen,
the method comprising:
storing part or whole of basic image data formed of a dot matrix;
converting a portion of the basic image data in a display range to display image data to display the display image data on the display screen, in response to a corresponding one of various commands input by the input means;
starting an automatic scroll process in response to a start command input by the input means, for automatically continuously shifting the display range in a scrolling manner in a predetermined one of upward, downward, leftward and rightward directions on the basic image data; and
changing, in response to a proportion change command input by the input means at or before a start of the automatic scroll process or during the automatic scroll process, a proportion between a size of the display image data and a size of the basic image data, to change the display image data to thereby display resulting display image data on the display screen.
According to this method, the advantageous effects as obtained by the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.